


Hungry Like the Wolf

by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, Werewolf Shiro (Voltron), Witch Hunk (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-05-03 06:45:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14563305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/pseuds/BossToaster
Summary: The full moon is the best time to go get ingredients.  Everyone knows that.  Or, everyone should know that, but Pidge has no respect for ingredients.  Hunk didn'tmeanto be out late, but he knows these woods, and he knows they're safe....Or he thought he did, until he hears the howling.Odd that it sounds painful





	1. Chapter 1

Holding up the lantern, Hunk squinted hard into the darkness.  He reached out and gently pushed a few branches of a bush out of the way so he could better see behind it.

How many petals did that flower have?  It was so much harder to tell in the dark.  He was pretty sure it was five, but they were all clustered close together, so he couldn’t tell one from the other.  Worse, the light of the full moon was doing nothing for him today. When he’d gone out it had been bright and beautiful, but now the night sky was covered with thick clouds.  Once in a while, there would be a thinner patch of cover that let moonlight poke through. But the rest of the time, it was just him and all the light that four D batteries could provide.

Really, Hunk should just go back home.  He was just refreshing his flower stocks, not doing anything especially important.  He had already picked what he could out of his own personal garden, and everything else could wait.  If it was about to rain, Hunk shouldn’t be out in a forest in the dead of night.

But he couldn’t leave now.  Not after he’d made a big deal to Pidge about how much better full moon harvested ingredients were.  Which was true. Hunk cared just as much about his magic ingredients as what he put into his baking. High quality vanilla or eggs made all the difference when he cooked. 

Pidge, on the other hand, was firmly of the belief that any old herbs were just as good as each other, and he was an idiot for going out and hunting down his ingredients at certain times of the moon cycle.  She bought just about everything online, and who knew where those sellers had gotten it.

It would have been better if Hunk had been able to get out here earlier. Today had been gorgeous, warm with a gentle breeze.  But he’d spent all day working, and this was when he had the chance to go out and harvest.

The only thing keeping Hunk out here was his pride.  But he hated to just let Pidge be smug about this, especially when he was right.

So here he was.

Reaching out, Hunk pulled out his spade and dug up two of the little flowers, roots and all.  Brushing off the worst of the dirt, he wrapped it in a moist paper towel, then put the whole thing in a closed container.  Several other herbs and flowers already filled it halfway, so at least Hunk had a decent haul for his dumb decisions.

As he slid the Tupperware back into his bag, there was a howl.

Hunk froze, hand still in his backpack and eyes wide.  He looked around the forest with new, deeper fear.

Had that been a wolf?  Were there wolves in these woods?

Maybe.  Hunk had never seen anything more frightening than a snake or two.  He didn’t like those, but they were harmless, so long as he didn’t step on them.  He just gave them wide berth and kept a careful eye out until he was far enough away.  There were definitely deer here, though Hunk had only caught a passing glance. Wolves, though, Hunk had never seen.  Had never considered.

But he’d never been out here this late, either.

Swallowing hard, Hunk pulled the bag on and stood, spinning in a circle.  In the dark, it was hard enough to see the little footpath through the woods.  The light of the lantern faded quickly, illuminating a few layers of trees, which gave way to gaping darkness beyond.

The wind picked up, making the trees and bushes shake.  For a moment, Hunk couldn’t tell if the noise was another howl or just the weather.

Hunk wrapped his arms around the lantern, holding it close to his chest like a teddy bear.  His heart pounded, and he was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was a squishy human without any weapon but a few magic charms and a small pocket knife.

Another howl ripped through the air, shockingly loud.  Shockingly close. Hunk’s heart picked up even faster, until he could feel his pulse fluttering in this throat.  It was a long, mournful sound. A cry.

It sounded painful, actually.

Hunk held his breath and turned off the lantern.  He reached into his pocket and took out a small crystal and squeezed it in his hands.  It warmed quickly, hotter than his body heat but not enough to burn. The shadows around him seemed to deepen and darken, like they were sticking to his feet and the edges of him.  When he took a step forward, his feet made no sound on the soft dirt of the path.

There.  That would help.  Nothing could chase him if nothing could find him.

He turned away from the noise, head down and steps careful.  The shadows seemed to shift with him, following each step and leaving no trace of him behind.

Another whimper cut through the air.  This time, it wasn’t as loud, though it was just as close.  This one was pitched up and shorter, ending on something like a grumble.

It didn’t sound like the noise a wolf would make before it and its pack mates descended on a tasty, defenseless human.  It sounded like the creature was in pain. Like it was crying for help.

Shit.  Why had he thought that?  If Hunk hadn’t gone there, he could have just left without looking.  But now he almost felt bad for the creature. Worse, Hunk was curious now.  What kind of trouble could it be in? Where was the rest of the pack? Were there usually wolves in this forest?

As long as the spell was up, Hunk was probably okay.  It only gave him half an hour of extra stealth, but that would be enough to at least look, right?  Just peek out at the creature, make sure it had just stubbed its canine toe or whatever, then move on.  If it was really bad, he could call animal control and tell them he’d heard weird howling noises and they should check it out.

Easy peasy.  No danger at all.  He was hard to see, almost impossible to hear, and if that rain started then he’d be hard to smell.  That was plenty to sneak away from one angry dog.

Hunk sighed soundlessly, then turned on his heel and started to creep through the bushes.

The heavy cloud cover blocked most of the light, leaving Hunk stumbling through the shadows.  But it made his hiding spell even more effective, helping him to blend in better. He followed the occasional howls deeper into the woods, always keeping back and peering carefully.

Finally, Hunk came to a clearing.  He paused behind a tree thick enough to hide a human, then poked his head out from the side.

Less than a hundred feet out, a dark colored wolf pulled back desperately.  They let out tiny whimpers of pain, and occasionally gave a louder yelp when they moved too hard.  Three paws worked in the dirt and fallen leaves, while one stayed stuck in place. In the very dim light, there was occasionally a metallic shine.

A bear trap.  The wolf was caught in a bear trap.

Unbidden, sympathy for the creature welled up in Hunk.  Why had someone even put that horrible thing out here? People wandered these woods, and anyone could have missed the trap and stepped on it.  Besides, they were totally barbaric to begin with. It was basically torture.

He crept closer, still keeping low to hide in the bushes and trees.  The spell would help a lot, but if he wasn’t carefully, the wolf might get lucky and spot him.

But the animal didn’t so much as glance his way.  The ears were pressed flat against their skull, as the other paw scrambled against the side of the metal trap.  It shone oddly as well, and at first Hunk thought it was wet with blood. But as he got closer, he realized the shine wasn’t from liquid.

One of the wolf’s paws was entirely made of metal.

Letting out another frustrated howl, it slashed it’s paw down the side of the bear trap, like it was trying to look for a latch.  There was an awful scraping sound, as metal clashed against metal. The wolf’s nose crinkled in a snarl as it tried to jam the claws between the metal teeth currently crushing its other arm.

That was not animal-like behavior.  What was with this thing?

Overhead, the trees shook with another powerful gust of wind.  A moist, heavy scent filled the air, showing the storm had to be close.  As the clouds shifted, there was a brief moment where the moonlight poked through, then was hidden again.

Wait.

Moonlight.

Full moon.

Oh.  There probably weren’t wolves in this forest.  At least not naturally born ones.

Hunk stepped closer to the clearing, relaxing a bit more.  That wasn’t a wounded wild animal out there. A regular wolf would be far worse - just an animal lashing out in pain and scared of what was happening.  For that, calling in an expert was best. But a werewolf meant there was a human mind in there, which meant they could be talked to.

Mind, humans could be worse than wild animals.  They could be malicious. Given a choice between a wolf in a corner and some of the people Hunk knew, he’d pick the wolf.   So it was still worth being careful, but Hunk dared to step out fully out of his cover.

“Do you need some help?”

The werewolf jolted, obviously startled, then let out a horrible cry of pain.  Jumping like that had probably pulled their paw. Their head whipped around to look at Hunk, ears flat and lips pulled back in a furious snarl.

Hunk stopped, heart in his throat and holding his hands up.  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to help.  That looks awful. I can-” He took a step forward.

The werewolf let out a low growl and took a step back.  The dark eyes narrowed, and the wrinkles on the snout made the pink scar stand out.  Every hair stood up straight, trying to seem bigger than their already large size.

“Hey!  I said I’m sorry!  Do you not want to be let out?”  Hunk swallowed hard and curled in on himself, hands up at his chest.  With his big backpack on, he felt a little like a turtle. “What if I just-?”

The wolf shook their head, the action eerily human.  Their ears flattened even further as they growled. But as they tried to look intimidating, they swayed on their feet, nearly tumbling over.

Looking down, Hunk swallowed hard as he realized just how dark the earth around the caught leg was.

That was blood.  Even for a werewolf, that had to be a dangerous amount to lose.

Hunk took a deep breath as he steeled himself.  Then he stepped forward again. “You can’t wait for anyone else.  I have some bandages in my bag. I can at least stop the bleeding.”

Finally, the ears perked.  The wolf let out a little huff, then pawed at the wet ground.  They let out a pleading whine, then scraped again.

…Okay, no, Hunk didn’t get it.

“Does that mean it’s okay?”

The ears flattened again.  They tapped the side of the trap, then the ground once more.  After a pause, they held their metal paw up to Hunk, then scratched over their ear.  The eyes were bright, and the tail gave a tiny wag as the wolf stared.

Trap… blood.  Hunk… ear?

Hearing Hunk when he… no…

Wait, no, they hadn’t been gesturing to their ear.  They’d been gesturing to themself. Blood from the trap… Hunk and the wolf-

Oh!  Right!  There was werewolf blood everywhere.  Blood with a highly contagious magical disease.

The wolf was caught in a bear trap, and they were worried that Hunk would get hurt.

Huh.

“I’ll be careful,” Hunk promised, holding his hands up.  “I have gloves, see?” He pulled his pack off his back and rummaged through, pulling out the thick, rubbery gardening gloves.  He mostly used it for the areas with poison oak and ivy, but it would be fine for this, too.

Finally, the wolf gave a single bark and nodded.  Then squirmed back, like they were trying to give Hunk more room to work.

Hunk pulled on the gloves then sat down next to the wolf.  They tried to squirm away nervously, fur on edge, but they only pulled on the wounded leg.  

“Stay still,” Hunk said, glancing over at him.  “You’re only going to make it worse.” The wound was even uglier up close.  The teeth had dug deep into the flesh, and Hunk tried not to look too carefully at the red mass.  There was definitely some broken bits in there, but if he thought about that too hard, he was going to throw up and run away.  

The ears flattened again, but the wolf stilled.  So Hunk pulled his lantern back out and turned on the light.  He’d never worked with a bear trap before, but it had to be based on a simple spring, which meant Hunk should be able to figure it out.

After a few minutes of searching, he realized the springs on the bottom were linked to two rods that jutted out.  They moved slightly when he touched them, which made the wolf yelp again. Hunk apologized absently as he traced the path of the springs inside, making sure this was the right spot.  He could try and push the rods together by hand to release the trap, but if he lost his grip it would slam back shut on the leg. He wasn’t sure the skinny limb could take another snap without being cut through.

But the trap had some sort of chain attached to it.  Hunk reached for it and wrapped it around both rods, considering.  Then he pulled, using the chain like a vice to pull both rods together and release the tension on the teeth.  Slowly, the trap opened up. “Okay, move, now!”

The wolf yanked their paw back, and instinctively tried to put their weight on it.  The leg buckled, sending them into the ground with a painful sounding groan.

They were free, though, so Hunk let go of the chain.  The trap snapped back into place, looking horribly grisly with the blood and clumps of fur attached.  Hunk gagged, then looked away quickly.

“Are you okay?”

Picking their head up, the wolf gave a pitiful whine.  This time, there was less humanity and intelligence behind the eyes - only a feverish, pained haze.  They tried to force themselves back up to their feet, seemingly on some sort of animal instinct, only to crash down again.

So that was a no, then.

Hunk reached out, then thought better of it and froze.  “Hey. I’m going to bandage you up now, okay? Then you can… we’ll figure out where you can go.”  Part of him had stupidly hoped that he’d just slap a band-aid on this and the wolf would bound off into the woods, maybe with a tail wag to pay for Hunk’s good dead of the day.  But just looking now, Hunk could already tell this was way more complicated than that. This person needed help.

What could he do, though?  This was a werewolf, so he couldn’t call any animal control people.  They were stuck in this form until the sun rose, so he couldn’t take them to a regular mundane hospital until then.  Even if he did, they’d have to explain why the mysterious person with a horrible arm wound healed so quickly. Allura had some mending magic, but he’d never seen her use it on a person (or a wolf).

The wolf picked their head up and let out a whine.  They jerked their head to the side and gave a quick wag of their tail.  The message this time was clear. ‘Go. I’ll be fine.’

Dammit, Hunk would go if this werewolf acted like a jerk.  But they had to go being concerned and wounded. It made Hunk feel bad to even think about cutting his losses and leaving.

“Bandage first, okay?  C’mon, just this.” At the very least, Hunk didn’t want this person to bleed out after freeing him.

Finally, the wolf offered their wounded paw.  Now that he wasn’t distracted, Hunk could get a good look at the metal one as well.  It was completely identical, aside from the plating that seemed to allow the joints to move.  It was all smooth, but matched the bulk of the fur on the other side. Someone had clearly designed this piece for this specific werewolf.

How did that work when they were in their human form?  Did they have a weird wolf leg? Or maybe this was one of those werewolves that just stayed a wolf, totally abandoning humanity.  Hunk couldn’t say he blamed them - he’d wanted to run off into the woods and leave the daily grind behind more than once too.

Digging out a roll of bandages, Hunk carefully wrapped the limb up.  More than once, he pulled too hard and made the wolf whimper. But they didn’t snap like he expected, so he just continued to work.  

Once he was finished, Hunk looked up.  The werewolf was still slumped over on their side, but this time the head was on the ground, eyes closed.  Their breath came in short, shallow bursts, hard enough that he could see the chest shake from it.

“Um… Wolf?  Werewolf? Are you…?”

No reaction.

Ah, boy.

Hunk slumped back onto his butt and groaned up at the sky.  It was utterly dark above them as the wind whipped through the trees.

“Just do it,” he muttered, dropping his gloved hands in his lap.  “I know you’re going to.”

A drop hit his face.  Then another. Then a few more.

Then, the downpour started.

“Knew it.”

Hunk looked down at the quickly soaked wolf with the bandaged leg.  He looked at the blooded bear trap, now quickly being washed of the gore.  He looked back the way he’d come in the dark forest.

There was really no helping it, was there?

Sighing, Hunk put away the (now wet) extra bandages and tucked the gloves under the edge of his long sleeved shirt. Once he had the pack securely on his back again, he leaned down and pulled the wolf into his arms.  When he stood, he was careful to keep his face away from the fur, so no blood ever got near his mouth or eyes.

The creature was utterly limp and surprisingly frail in his arms.  He was also bigger than Hunk was expecting, far larger than any dog that he’d ever tried to hold.

But Hunk had lifted bigger and heavier things than this before.  It might take a while, but he could manage.

“I’ll take you home,” he told the unconscious wolf.  “But if you try and steal any of my stuff, I’m going to kick your ass.”

With that, Hunk shifted the weight in his arms and started on the path back to his car.

This was going to be a long night.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro wakes up

Shiro sat up with a start.  He grabbed for his left arm, curling it to his chest protectively as he panted hard, eyes darting around.

He was…

He was in a room.  A guest bedroom, to be more exact.  He was on top of pale blue covers and several thick pillows.  The drapes covered his view of the window, but morning light poured in cheerfully.  The walls were a creamy off-white, with no decorations.

Simple.  Quiet. Normal.

A real bed, with real pillows.

Shiro flopped back down, eyes closed.  It had been nearly a year since he’d been able to lay down in a bed like this.  Not since he’d lost his own. It all felt so soft below him. He’d forgotten how far he sank into a mattress, and how glorious it felt to press his cheeks to clean linen.  When he took a deep breath, he could pick up a couple of faint scents. One was a couple of weeks old, like someone had used this bed sometime in the not-too-distant past. The other was familiar.

The owner of the house.

The man who had freed him from the trap.

Shiro held his left arm over his head, looking it over.  A bandage still looped loosely around it a couple of times, but most of it trailed down to his chest.  When he’d shifted in the morning, it must have forced it off. Under, he could see the ugly, deep red gouge, but it was no longer weeping and in danger of killing him.  He should probably wash it again and cover it, but by tomorrow it would be better. Already, the bone underneath was knitting together, strong as ever, no need to worry about anything being set.

At least, that was what had happened every other time Shiro had broken a bone.

He’d never woken up in a place like this after, though.

Shiro finally sat back up and took another deep breath.  His ears picked up the sound of footsteps down the hall, and some sort of clacking and shifting.  It took him a few seconds to recognize the sound of someone in a kitchen. Making breakfast, probably.

A tiny, hysterical laugh escaped him.  Making breakfast. Wandering through a kitchen and making eggs and toast like nothing in the world was wrong.

Shiro glanced down at the bed again.  Now that he was looking it over, he could see the dark stains where he must have bled out onto the covers.  Guilt bubbled in Shiro’s stomach. This nice, soft, wonderful bed. And he’d dirtied it in his sleep with werewolf blood, when this person had been kind enough to bandage him and take him out of the rain.  

Standing on shaky feet, uncaring of his nakedness, Shiro pulled the covers and sheets off the bed.  He double-checked the pillow cases to make sure there was no blood on them, then sighed and stripped them too.  They weren’t bloodied, but if he’d drooled at all in his sleep, they might be trouble. Best to be sure.

Damn his wolf form, damn the full moon, and damn the Galra.

Shiro folded them all up on the floor, ready to be washed.  There were two doors in this room, one on the wall in front of him, and the other facing the noise of the hallway.  He opened the first, which turned out to be a closet, and pulled down new sheets from the top shelf. Rather than re-dress the bed, he just set the sheets down on top of it.  It wasn’t a good idea for him to do that until he was cleaned off. Any blood still stuck to him from his wolf form was dangerous.

As he finished that up, the footsteps came closer.  Shiro turned around just as the door opened, and a head peaked in.

The man from before looked at the stripped bed immediately.  Then his eyes went wide and he cast his gaze around, until they fell on Shiro.

Shiro, who was utterly naked, scared from head to toe, and still bloody.

“Shit!”  The door slammed shut, just as Shiro grabbed the dirty sheets to wrap around himself.  “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think you’d be awake!”

Covering his face in his metal hand, Shiro took a deep breath.  His other arm twinged, now that he wasn’t distracted with something to do, but he ignored that with practiced ease.  “No, I’m sorry, I heard you walking this way but I didn’t think- I should have covered up.”

“With what?  I didn’t leave you any clothes.”  The man on the other side sighed. “Shoot.  Um. Do you know your size?”

Did Shiro?  It took him a few seconds to remember what his size used to be.  It had been a year since he’d had to think about store-bought clothing, and he’d… grown since then.  “Um. Large, usually.”

“Lance’s stuff isn’t going to fit, then.”  The man paused, then tapped on the door. “Hold tight, okay?”

Shiro nodded slowly.  What else was he going to do, exactly?  Jump out the window in a bloody sheet and nothing else?  “Okay.”

The footsteps moved away, and then there was the shifting of drawers and cloth.  A few seconds later, the door opened, and a hand jabbed out, holding a pair of boxers and sweatpants.  “These should do.”

Stepping over carefully, Shiro took them gingerly in his metal hand.  “Thank you. Very much. But I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not very clean at the moment.”

“That’s fine.  They’re old clothes anyway- oh.  Right.” The man paused. “Well, the boxers for now, at least.  You can shower off, and then wear the pants. You’re okay as a human, right?”

“How do you know that?”  Shiro stared at the door as if it would give him answers.  This strange man in the woods had managed to sneak up on him, though Shiro had been very distracted.  He’d spoken to Shiro as if he’d been a person and not a very scared wolf, like anyone should have thought.  He bandaged him up, then took him home (assumedly). Now he seemed to understand right away why the dog had become a person overnight, and knew that Shiro was only contagious in one form.

Who  _ was _ this guy?

There was a pause.  “Um. Because you’re a werewolf?  You are, right? It was a full moon, so I’m assuming, but maybe you just cast a weird spell or something.  I don’t know.”

“How do you know that too?”  Shiro clutched the clothing in his hands, taking a wary step back from the door.  “Who  _ are _ you?”

This time, the pause was even longer.  “Uh. That- I’m Hunk? And you’re a werewolf, so I don’t know why this is all news to you.  I assume werewolf, still. You are one, right?”

Shiro finally nodded, although the man couldn’t see it.  “Yes. That’s what they said.”

“Cool, then yeah.  You’re a werewolf, I’m a wizard.”

“Like Harry Potter?”  Or like…?

The man sucked in a breath.  “Oh, boy.  _ Oooh, _ boy.  I don’t- I don’t even know what to tell you. You don’t know about magic?”

“I know about magic,” Shiro answered, his heart in his throat.  He took another few steps back, until his back hit the wall. “I know Haggar.”

“Who?”

Shiro didn’t answer, still pressing himself as far from the door as possible.

He knew magic.  He knew witches.  The witch, in fact.  And he knew magic was used to hurt, to change, to pull people apart from the inside to try and remake them in a new order.

How naive was he, after all this time?  Why didn’t Shiro ever learn his lesson? Someone picked him up and took him to their house and he thought they were a nice, healing person who was worried for him.  Of course they weren’t. He was an easy target.

“Um.  Werewolf guy?  You still want a shower?”

Shiro closed his eyes.  “Yes,” he admitted, voice smaller now.  He wasn’t sure what it would cost him, but it would be worth it to wash off.  He didn’t want to stay bloody and contagious.

“Alright.  I only have the one good shower in my apartment, so you’ll have to use the one in my room.”  There was a long beat of hesitation. “Um, would it be super rude to tell you I’ll know if you steal something?  ‘Cause I will. You probably don’t want to mess with a lot of it anyway. Like, the crystals and charms and stuff work for me but they don’t go for anything on ebay.”

Shiro nodded his head, eyes still closed.  “I won’t touch anything.” It wasn’t worth the punishment.

“Cool.  Can I open the door?”

Right.  Shiro pulled on the boxers, still clutching the pants like a lifeline.  “I’m decent, now.”

The door creaked open, revealing the man again.  He didn’t look like Haggar did. If there was any similarity, it was that both of them slumped forward.  But otherwise they were total opposites. Haggar was slight and bowed like a heavy branch, while this man was broad and sturdy.  His fingers tangled together nervously, and his eyes darted up and down Shiro’s form. Both were dark-skinned, but Haggar had an almost gray cast under the bright red marks she painted on herself.  Hunk had no such adornments, but his cheeks were stained red with a blush.

Appearances could deceive.  Shiro knew that. 

But this guy - this ‘Hunk’ - didn’t look like someone who wanted to chop Shiro up for parts.  He looked like someone who was afraid Shiro would rip him apart.

“Okay.”  Hunk looked over him again, then went redder.  No doubt he was picking up all the gnarled, ugly scars, signs of Shiro’s previous fights and wounds.  The angry gash on his left arm would probably add to the collection. “Huh. The arm shifts with you?”

Shiro nodded slowly, even as he fought to keep from curling in too.  “It does.”

“Interesting.”  Hunk opened his mouth to say more, but he took in Shiro’s uncomfortable posture and stopped.  “Uh, c’mon. This way.”

Shiro followed behind on Hunk’s heels.  The hallway was short - he could see down to a kitchen and living room on one end, and there were only three doors, including the one they came out of.  The door to one was open, showing the hint of tile and striped wallpaper. A bathroom, though apparently without a shower. Hunk lead them through the other, into another bedroom.  

This one was clearly not a guest room - it was filled with clutter, from machine parts to vegetation to crystals.  A desk was shoved into one corner, piled high with two stacks of books, and the shelves next to it were overflowing with tomes.  One drawer of the dresser was still cracked open, showing another pair of sweats and several old looking t-shirts. Hunk bypassed all of that and opened another door, showing a second bathroom.  “Here you go, …um. Werewolf guy. You have a name?”

Shiro opened his mouth, then hesitated.  He still didn’t understand much about magic, since Haggar had never stopped to explain herself to him.  But he remembered hearing tales as a child of true names and how important they were. 

Well, that was fine. Shiro never went by his ‘true’ name anyway.  “Shiro.”

“Shiro.  Cool. Um.  Have a good shower?”  Hunk winced and looked away.  “Uh, that sounded weird. Ignore it.  I’m just gunna go finish breakfast. Bye!”  With that, he darted out of the room, leaving Shiro alone.

Alone in his bedroom.

Apparently he’d taken Shiro at his word not to steal anything.

But there was nothing in here worth messing with.  He was curious about the books, but not enough to chance his life.  So Shiro stepped into the bathroom and started the shower.

The shower with hot running water.  With soaps and shampoos with artificial floral scents.  With the humming fluorescent lights and cheery yellow towels on the racks.  With free rein to take as long as he needed.

It was a relief to stand under the spray, because Shiro could ignore the prickling behind his eyes.

Hot water washed away the grime, the sweat, the remaining wolf fur, the blood.  

Underneath, Shiro wasn’t sure he felt clean.  Not when he knew what lurked in his body.

But it was much better than he’d felt in a long time.

***

When Shiro finally stepped out into the kitchen, it was a solid half an hour later.  He hadn’t taken a shower that long in years, even before he’d been captured. Shiro had never seen the point of dawdling under the water when he could be doing something more interesting and productive.  The military had only encouraged his economical tendencies.

But when he came out, his skin was bright pink from the heat, and he was still dripping into the towel draped over his shoulders.  He used it to cover as much of his bare chest as he could, just to make them both as comfortable as possible. The sweats sagged over his hips, though Shiro had drawn them tight and tied them off.

All in all, Shiro felt like a total bum.  But it was so much better than he’d felt in months that he couldn’t care too much.

“There you are.”  Hunk gave a little wave, more cheerful than he’d been before.  The smell of food filled the air, making Shiro’s mouth water. “Hungry?”

Shiro nodded, eyes wide.  “Yes, thank you. You didn’t have to.  You’ve done plenty for me.” After all Hunk had done to help, Shiro was sure the eventual bill was already astronomical.  This was just adding onto it. But what was breakfast after saving Shiro’s life?

“I was cooking anyway.  It’s not a hardship to make a little more.”  Hunk waved him off toward the table. “Sit down.  You have to still be hurting. How’s your arm?”

Each word drained away some of Shiro’s fears.  Speaking nicely and making breakfast didn’t make Hunk a good person, but he was so unlike Haggar that Shiro could only feel better.  “Fine. It’ll be alright by the end of the day. I’m not bleeding anymore.”

Hunk glanced over his shoulders, frowning.  “Does it hurt?”

Shiro stared, then slowly looked down at his arm.  He bit his bottom lip, not sure what the right answer was.  “It’s fine, like I said.”

“That’s not- alright, sure.”  Hunk sighed and shook his head, but let it go.  “Sit down, then. You want anything to drink? Water?  Milk? I don’t have any juice right now, sorry.”

Blinking at Hunk’s back, Shiro swallowed.  This was so domestic. Simple. This man was magic and he was sorry he didn’t have orange juice.  How was Shiro supposed to make sense of that? “Water is fine. Just from the tap? I can get it.”

“The tap?  No way. What are we, animals?”  Hunk paused, then turned around, eyes wide.  “Oh, I didn’t mean- sorry. There’s nothing wrong with being an animal sometimes.”

Finally, a smile cracked over Shiro’s face.  Hunk just looked so apologetic. “I’m not offended.  I know what you mean.” The phrase reminded him of Matt, actually.

Matt, who had also turned out to be magic, along with Sam and the rest of his family.

Matt, who had lied to him for years, hiding a huge, terrifying, painful world that he was part of.

Matt, who was probably dead.

“Good.”  With that, Hunk pulled out some sort of container from his fridge, then dug out a cup and filled it with water.  He set it down in front of Shiro with a nod. “It tastes much better. Removes a lot of junk.”

Shiro nodded along, amused.  “Okay. Um, sounds good.” He picked it up with his right hand, the metal fingers clinking softly against the glass.

Hunk’s eyes immediately snapped to it, bright with interest.  “Do you mind if I ask a few questions?”

Well, this had been coming the whole time.  Shiro took a deep breath, then let it go. “I think you’ve earned them, after taking me in.  We’ll call it part of the trade.”

“Sure,” Hunk said, drawing out the word like the entire concept was strange.  “We can do that.”

Finally, something in Shiro started to unwind.  He still didn’t really know what to expect, here, but he didn’t think Hunk played by Haggar’s rules.  She’d never let that kind of rebellion or attempt to control their game pass.

Hunk pulled out a chair and sat across from the table at Shiro.  “How did you end up in those woods last night?”

Shiro took a sip so he could stall and hide behind the glass.  “I was running away. I was… taken, a while ago. Wrong place, wrong time, as it were.  At that time, I would have told you magic was only in movies and books. Until…” He gestured to his right forearm, where the bite used to be.   “I was changed. Let’s just say they were unkind. I was finally able to get free and I was just trying to get away, but then - well, you saw what happened to me.”

“I’m going to guess unkind is an understatement,” Hunk murmured.  His eyes roamed over Shiro’s chest, sympathy in his dark eyes. 

Shiro only nodded.

“Well, then I’m glad I looked.  When I heard a wolf howling, I almost turned tail and ran right there.  I didn’t feel like being dog food.” Hunk bit his bottom lip, looking down at his hands instead of Shiro.  “Is there someplace you should go? Anyone you need to contact?

“A couple of friends probably wonder what happened to me.  I’m sure my job and apartment are gone by now. It’s been a while.”  Shiro looked down as well, swallowing hard. He hadn’t asked himself any of these questions yet.  He’d been too preoccupied with getting away.

What was he supposed to do with his freedom?  Try to walk back into his former life, ignoring everything that had happened?  Waiting for the Galra to find him again? Shiro had a head start, but that wouldn’t protect him forever.

That was assuming Haggar couldn’t find him from the arm.

Automatically, Shiro’s fingers curled around the cold metal.

Hunk’s eyes followed the movement, curiosity re-igniting.  “I’m guessing you don’t know how that thing works, huh?” Then he paused, eyes wide.  “I mean- you don’t have to answer anything about it! It sounds like you had a bad time.  But it’s a really unique piece of magic and I don’t know how it shifts with you, so…” He ducked his head, his bangs falling in front of his eyes.  “I’m sorry. Ignore me.”

“I don’t know anything, I’m afraid.  Sorry.” Shiro gave a thin smile and shrugged one shoulder.  His left arm twinged at the movement, but it was very manageable now.  “I don’t even remember when it happened, not clearly. A lot of it was a blur.  There was magic and fighting. The kind for- well, people like me were mostly entertainment.  The arm was to augment that, though I don’t really know how. But I don’t remember much else.”

Hunk winced again, slowly curling further in on himself.  “I’m sorry I asked. Really. You don’t have to answer.”

Smiling softly, Shiro shook his head.  “You took in a total stranger. A bleeding, drooling, unconscious werewolf at that.  The least I can do is answer what happened and to help with the laundry if I can.” He paused as a bitter scent hit his nose.  It was faint, but growing. Turning his head toward the stove, Shiro cleared his throat. “I think the food is burning.”

“Right!”  Hunk leapt to his feet and scrambled over.  “Caught it before it got bad. I totally forgot, though.  Thank goodness for your nose, apparently.”

“It has its uses.”  This was certainly the nicest way Shiro had used it.  He watched warmly as Hunk puttered comfortably through the little kitchen, grabbing plates and serving the food.

Bacon, sausage and eggs.  A breakfast made for a carnivore, it seemed.  Shiro’s stomach rumbled at the sight.

Hunk smiled, clearly amused.  “Wait till you taste it before you look at me like that.”

Realizing he’d been staring like Hunk was responsible for making sunshine, Shiro looked away.  “It smells amazing, that’s all.”

“It tastes even better.  That’s a Hunk guarantee.”  He set one plate in front of Shiro and watched, openly eager.

Shiro eyed him, not totally comfortable with the intense attention.  But he picked up a piece of bacon and bit in.

It was the best bacon Shiro had ever had in his life.  Crispy, warm, salty, with a hint of something sweet underneath.  It crumbled on his tongue in an explosion of flavor.

“Oh my god,” Shiro managed, covering his mouth with his hand, as if the taste would try to buzz out of him.  “This is amazing.”

“Told you.”  Hunk preened openly, then gestured for him to keep eating.  “Go on, try everything.”

It occurred to Shiro that this could be a trick - poison or some sort of potion to make him complicit.  But his stomach rumbled again, and his mouth actually, literally watered as he imagined more. Frankly, Hunk could slip Shiro whatever he wanted.  It was worth it to keep eating.

He dug in, only barely managing to eat at a polite pace.  Across from him, Hunk ate his own breakfast much more sedately, and seemed more interested in watching Shiro dive into the food.

“You said you want to pay me back, right?”

Shiro froze, fork still in his mouth.  He turned his wide eyes on Hunk, heart pounding.  “Yes,” he managed.

Hunk gestured to the arm.  “I have a few friends who would like to get a look at that arm.  Just to understand how it works. It’s really mechanical for magic, and that’s Pidge’s wheelhouse.  We could also get you healed up and settled, so you can try and contact your friends and figure out how to get your life back on track.  So you can stay here. I’m preeeetty sure you’re not a serial killer or going to try and eat me and fool my granddaughter.”

Staring back blandly, Shiro chewed as sarcastically as he could manage.  “Thanks. I apologize for not conforming to your stereotypes.”

“It’s a good thing.”  Hunk smiled, softening the tease.  “You’re clearly uncomfortable with it, but at least you’ll know how it works, when we’re done with everything.  And you’ll get a place to stay for a few days. And more food.”

Shiro would do it for the food, really.  “You don’t owe me anything more. You saved me already, last night.”

“Then help me with some other chores.”  Hunk eyed him. “Seriously, Shiro. You’ve made it pretty clear you don’t like magic very much.  But I really want to learn more about that arm. I helped you out because I couldn’t turn away, not because I needed a return favor.  This is what I want for both. Is that good with you?”

It still felt so completely uneven, but Shiro nodded.  “If that’s what you really want, sure.”

Hunk beamed back.  The corners of his eyes crinkled with the force of his smile, which made Shiro’s heart pick up speed.  “Perfect. It’s a deal, then.” He offered his right arm.

Shiro took his hand and shook.  “It’s a deal.”

It had been a very confusing few days.  But for the first time in a year, Shiro felt safe.

He’d do whatever it took to make Hunk happy in return.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of this is planned but unstarted, so for now we'll call it complete and see if anything comes back for it. There's a lot on my plate right now, though, so it may depends.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	3. Chapter 3

Shiro hadn't come out of the guest room since lunch.

It had been easy to agree that Shiro could stay at Hunk's apartment when he seemed so helpful and harmless. Helping Shiro at all had been an impulsive decision, but since he'd been nothing but respectful, even shy. Besides, Hunk had been totally captivated by the implications of his prosthetic arm. It functioned identically to his left, including shifting between a wolf and human form. Hunk had only dreamed of magical engineering that functional, and he'd practically salivated over the chance to learn more.

It was different when Hunk finally saw Shiro bare his teeth.

Maybe it had been too soon to call Allura and Pidge. To be fair, Hunk had just wanted answers about that arm, and he hadn't known Shiro-the-werewolf was the same guy as Takashi Shirogane, the mundane who had disappeared with Pidge's family.

If Hunk had realized that, he would have realized Pidge's frantic interrogation was inevitable.

Maybe Shiro's eventual snapping and half-transformation had been inevitable too. But Hunk hadn't seen in coming, and he hadn't bothered to disguise the way he flinched or pulled out his defensive charms.

Almost immediately after, Shiro had locked himself back into the guest room, and had barely made a peep since.

Hunk hadn't been very interested in dragging him out, either. He'd shooed out Allura and Pidge, despite their protests, and he'd made himself lunch in anxious silence. He made no attempt to call Shiro out of his room, and Shiro made no attempt to stick his head out.

It gave Hunk time to think.

At first, his head had been full of the image Shiro had made. His lips pulled back, nose wrinkled and jaw elongated. His muscles tensed, bigger, threatening. His eyes bright yellow and his mouth full of long, jagged fangs.

It hadn't been a full transformation, but if anything, that made it worse. That was how dangerous Shiro could be when he was still mostly human. How easily could he could bite out someone's neck with those teeth as a wolf?

Hunk had the sudden, dark feeling that Shiro was a dangerous man. Not only because he was a werewolf, but because he'd looked like someone who knew how to hurt. The look hadn't even been aimed at Hunk, and he still wanted to run away and cower.

Shiro had made Hunk feel like prey in his own home.

He hadn't done anything. He hadn't hurt anyone. He'd been provoked. He'd apologized and removed himself from the situation.

But the fear didn't fade fast.

Slowly, the hours passed. The initial shock and terror wore off, as did the sick feeling in Hunk's stomach. He ate his lunch, then dinner, and cleaned up.

After, he looked up information on werewolves. At first, Hunk wanted defensive tips, but his personal collection wasn't that deep. Instead, Hunk just ended up reading general information. Being proactive, even in such a silly way, helped settle him down. If Hunk needed to ask Shiro to leave early, then he would know how to handle him if he took it badly.

The sun set, and Hunk's reading material dwindled, until he only had one book left. None of them had told Hunk anything he didn't already know. Use silver, keep your distance, find a safe place until the sun rose. Werewolves were at their most dangerous during the full moon. The rest of the time, a transformed werewolf could be handled the same way as any large dog.

No more dangerous than a normal human. Attempt communication before resorting to violence.

Despite himself, Hunk started to feel bad. Maybe Shiro had been scary, but he'd been apologetic, and he hadn't hurt anyone. So maybe Hunk was jumping the gun to treat him like a threat and to let him stew in his room. Even if Shiro didn't know. It still wasn't very fair to the guy.

Hunk sighed and rested his book on his chest. A glance at his clock showed it was just past 11 PM. It had been over twelve hours since Shiro had retreated into the guest room.

He was probably asleep, right? The full moon transformation was supposed to be uncomfortable and exhausting, even without getting caught in a bear trap. Shiro had probably been so quiet because he was snoozing away his temper. 

The shift also took a lot of calories. If Shiro had been running away, he probably hadn't eaten much last night. And today he'd skipped two meals-

That was his own choice, though. Hunk hadn't locked him in that guest room. No one had told him to stay away. Shiro would know his own physical state better than anyone.

Except he was a mundane who had been turned against his will, and he barely knew anything about magic outside of 'Harry Potter', of all things. The Galra sounded like a nasty group, and they probably hadn't stopped to explain the finer points of werewolf nutrition to him.

Dammit.

Hunk dropped his open book over his face and groaned.

All he'd wanted was some damn herbs. Hunk should have walked away when he heard the growl. Or let the wolf free and left him there. Or let Shiro go after he'd woken up.

Except Shiro would have died in at least two of those scenarios. Maybe even all three, if the Galra caught him stumbling around the streets. He'd been scary for a minute, but did he deserve to die for it?

Ah, hell.

Well, dinner was gone, and Hunk got the feeling Shiro would be skittish of food offered for nothing. But Hunk could use a midnight snack anyway. It had been a long day and he'd been in his room reading for hours. And if he offered some to his guest, that was just polite. Never mind that he hadn't done it the last two times.

Shoving off his covers, Hunk made his way down the hall with heavier footfalls than he would normally. Not only was he probably advertising his movements to the werewolf in the guest room, his downstairs neighbor probably knew exactly where he was. Once in the kitchen, Hunk made a point of clanging his pots and closing the fridge a little extra loudly as he made a few hard-boiled eggs and cut up the apples that would go bad soon anyway.

There wasn't a peep from the guest room, just has there hadn't been for lunch and dinner.

Hunk considered, then sighed and made up a second plate for half the food. He washed up just as noisily, hoping that Shiro would save him the trouble and poke his head out. But when he didn't, Hunk took both plates and used his foot to quietly knock on the door.

There was a long silence.

Sleeping, then. Just like Hunk had figured. That was good. Shiro should be sleeping this close to midnight, and he needed the rest after-

The door cracked open.

Shiro peered through the few inches of space, tense and strained. He was still wearing the same clothes as this morning, a t-shirt and pair of sweats. So either he hadn't undressed to sleep, or he'd been awake.

"Did you need something?" He asked. His tone almost managed to be conversational, but the nervous darting of his eyes gave him away.

Why was he so nervous? Shiro was the one who had grown fangs and nearly took a bite out of Pidge.

Hunk held up the second plate and swallowed hard. "I made a snack. Did you want some?"

Shiro's eyes snapped onto the offered food, and his nostrils flared. His left arm twitched like he made to take it, but he stopped himself. "I don't want to trouble you."

"It's already made," Hunk pointed out, frowning. Shiro didn't look up from the food, and there was something like dread on his face. "No trouble at all."

Slowly, cautiously, Shiro reached out and took the edge of the plate. He still watched it like it would try and bite him back. "Thank you," Shiro finally said, automatic rather than sincere. "Was there something you needed tonight?"

Hunk opened his mouth, then paused. Shiro's offer didn't sound like a dismissal like it should have. He sounded prepared. Wary.

"I'm magic, but I'm not a fairy," Hunk said flatly, watching Shiro's face closely. "There's no pact here. And even if it was, we already talked about this. I want to study your arm."

Technically, a few hours ago Hunk had been ready to give up on the whole thing. But something about Shiro made him so damn curious. He was a mystery wrapped up in a puzzle, and Hunk had never been good at resisting either.

Slowly, Shiro relaxed and nodded. There was a hint of color to his cheeks as he managed a smile. "Right. You did say. Well, thank you. I think we also talked about me doing chores, and I haven't…"

"You've been stuck in here all day."

Shiro winced and leaned heavily against the door frame. "I thought it best. My temper is shorter than usual. I shouldn't have yelled like that. I normally wouldn't, but it's been a very long few days."

Yes, that was one way of putting it.

Hunk sighed and nodded through the crack. "Maybe we should talk about it?" Like the book had said, 'attempt communication.' Shiro didn't seem very interested in that, but Hunk would give it a shot before he gave up on this whole idea.

Ducking his head again, Shiro nodded. Absurdly, though, he seemed a little relieved. Maybe he'd been waiting for the shoe to drop. "I certainly owe you that." With that, Shiro opened the door further and let him in.

Hunk immediately made a beeline for the bed, intending to sit on it while they ate.

Only to pause when he realized it was totally bare.

Right. They'd put the sheets in the washer, and then Hunk had utterly forgotten about them. They were probably still in there now. Hopefully they didn't smell.

Hunk gently sat down on the edge of the bed and offered Shiro a flat smile. "I'll bring you the spare set of sheets before I head to bed. It's probably more comfortable than hanging out on the bare bed must have been."

Stiffening again, Shiro shook his head. "I didn't lay on it," he said sharply. He sounded scandalized, like it would have been some great transgression to do so. When Hunk stared in confusion, he raised his left arm and wiggled the fingers.

The worst of the wounds had closed, and he wasn't actively bleeding from it anymore. But the healing had been fast, so it probably wouldn't take too much to rip it back open.

Hunk continued to stare. "I mean, blood on a mattress is annoying to clean up, but I'm not going to get mad at you for being hurt."

Shiro slowly pointed to his teeth, looking like Hunk had lost his marbles.

Oh, jeez, this guy. He knew basically nothing about himself.

"Unless it's the full moon again, you're good," Hunk said flatly as he picked up a slice of apple. "Even anything you drooled or bled on during a full moon would be fine by now. The curse is only transmitted in those specific circumstances. I could drink your blood right now and it wouldn't hurt me."

Shiro's eyes went wide. Then his shoulders dropped, and he let out a huge sigh of relief. "Good. Okay. I wasn't sure. I was going to clean everything I messed with tomorrow to be sure. I meant to do it today, but-" He winced.

Dammit, couldn't the guy at least be stubborn or cranky or something that would justify Hunk's reaction? This whole confused and kicked puppy thing was making Hunk feel like the bad guy.

"I have some books on werewolves," Hunk said, dipping his slice into the peanut butter and crunching down. "You can look through them yourself tomorrow. Now eat, will you?"

Automatically, Shiro reached for a slice and mirrored Hunk's movements. But his eyes were locked onto Hunk's face the whole time. "I'd appreciate that." He finally sat down as well, though he kept careful distance between them. "So there's going to be a tomorrow, then?"

Until Shiro asked, Hunk hadn't been fully decided.

But looking at the quiet, guarded expectation on Shiro's face, Hunk couldn't do it. He hadn't given many details to Pidge, but clearly Shiro had stopped expecting kindness from people.

It made Hunk want to prove him wrong.

"There's a tomorrow," he said, steady and firm. His fingers tightened nervously around his apple slice. "There's a tomorrow, and a next day, and several more out of that. So long as I'm still allowed to learn about your arm. I need Pidge for that."

Shiro sighed and nodded. "I have no objections to Pidge coming back. I'd like a chance to apologize."

"I think she owes you one too."

But Shiro shook his head. "No, there was no excuse for making the confrontation physically threatening like that. She has ever reason to be afraid for her family. I wish I could help more." He picked up one of the eggs and started to crack off the shell.

Hunk watched, then slowly nodded. "I think it was bad timing for you," he admitted, mostly because Shiro looked so raw. "Getting in the face of a werewolf right after the full moon is a bad idea. Pidge knows better, and she should have respected when you said you didn't know anything else."

The egg crunched in Shiro's hands as his grip suddenly tightened. "I can't say I appreciated that part," he admitted, his voice lowering. It wasn't quite a growl, but Hunk went still anyway. Noticing him freeze up, Shiro looked over, then slammed his eyes shut and looked away.

Hunk's stomach sank. Neither of them seemed to be able to help this cycle. Any sign of temper at all from Shiro made Hunk nervous, and that made Shiro feel dangerous in return.

"Well, then Pidge can apologize," Hunk finally said, raising his voice. He pointedly scooted over, so he and Shiro were closer. It was a friendly distance, but with a good few inches so they both could have their personal bubbles.

Shiro froze. His shoulders twitched, and finally he cracked a smile. "Alright, so I owe her a big apology, and she owes me a little one. Really, she doesn't have to feel sorry for being worried or intense. I understand that. I just-" He finally bit down on his egg, his sharper teeth sinking in easily. "I wasn't the one who lied."

At first, Hunk's brow came together, not sure what Shiro was talking about. Who had lied to him? Pidge really was Katie Holt, and Hunk hadn't said anything incorrect that he knew of.

Noticing Hunk’s confused look, Shiro gave a bland smile.  “I knew the Holts for a long time before everything went wrong.  I suppose they’re under no obligation to tell me anything. But it might have helped if I had any clue when the Galra came.  So I don’t exactly appreciate being accused of dishonesty, given that.”

Oh.

There were dozens and dozens of reasons not to tell every mundane about magic. Hunk had certainly had them all drilled into his head by his mothers when he was young. 

But for a family friend, that had to hurt. Especially how he’d found out.  How Shiro had suffered in confusion when he didn’t need to.

That explained Shiro's reaction a little bit more than just being annoyed at the questions and tone.

Hunk reached out and gently put a hand on Shiro's shoulder. "Well, if you can help Pidge out, I bet she can find her family, and you can get an explanation straight from them."

Determination flashed behind Shiro's eyes. He met Hunk's gaze and straightened up completely. Shiro was taller than Hunk, but he'd never fully appreciated that fact because he'd been slumped this whole time. Curled in, nervous, scared of himself.

This was the first time Hunk saw the Shiro he used to be, before the Galra had hurt him.

"You're right." Shiro nodded, calmer, more centered. He smiled, and it was like looking at a different person. "Whenever she comes over next, I'll do my best."

Hunk swallowed hard, then smiled back helplessly.

He'd been wrong before. This was so much more dangerous. A snappy werewolf was a problem Hunk could handle. A handsome man smiling at him like he'd fixed something important was a whole new set of issues.

Looking away, Hunk busied himself with his own egg. "Well, eat up first. You need your energy. Transformation takes a lot of energy, you know."

"Does it?" Shiro sounded honestly curious. "That explains why I was so hungry this morning. Other than that I was smelling the most delicious breakfast ever, of course."

Hunk's cheeks flamed, even as he smiled. "It was pretty good. I can do better with some prep."

"I find that hard to imagine."

"I accept that challenge."

Shiro smiled back, eyes crinkling at the corners from the force of it. It faded quickly, though he did continue to nibble on his egg. "You're already doing so much for me. I probably shouldn't ask you for anything else, but I think it might help you too. Would you teach me magic?"

Hunk froze. "Um. Okay, I know you're a werewolf now, but that's not really… it's a bloodline thing, and you can't just teach someone-"

"Woah!" Shiro held up his free hand, eyes wide. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant about magic in general. Like werewolves and witches and wizards and fairies and whatever else is out there. I just want to know the rules. Maybe I can help you figure out the arm if I know more about it."

Oh, good. Hunk nodded eagerly. "That I can do, sure. I have plenty of books and I can explain some of it myself. Sure, absolutely." He bit the inside of his cheek, considering, then decided the conversation had been going well enough to push it. "But I want something in return."

Immediately, Shiro tensed. He didn't look less friendly, and his expression didn't change, but his eye went glassy and distant. "What do you want?"

Honestly, Hunk wanted to see that. The way Shiro froze up at exchanges. He didn't understand why, still, but he wanted to. It was a mystery, and that was too interesting.

But asking probably wouldn't get a straight answer. So instead Hunk jumped to a different curiosity. "Can I see you as a wolf?"

Shiro's brows jumped up. "You want- that's it?"

"Mhmm."

"Why?"

Hunk shrugged. "I didn't get to see you clearly last night. It was dark and rainy and you were hurt. I want to see your arm in more detail in that form." And it would help, if he was more familiar with Shiro when he had fangs and fur. Maybe Shiro's flashed temper wouldn't scare him so much then.

Considering Hunk, Shiro waited like there was a part two. But when Hunk didn't say anything else, Shiro put his plate down and blurred.

There, on the floor of Hunk's supposedly pet-free apartment, was a huge wolf. Shiro was totally black, aside from the slash of white fur between his ears, and the shining silver leg. In the light, the fur seemed matted at first, but on closer inspection it was bare patches from what must have been scars.

Shiro stepped carefully in front of Hunk and sat. Though Hunk was on the bed and Shiro was on the floor, his head still came up to Hunk's nose. He was a massive beast, but moved with an uncannily human air.

Then he delicately raised one paw, as if offering to shake.

On autopilot, Hunk took the paw. It was bigger than he'd thought, especially compared to a normal dog. He shook it carefully, and Shiro's maw parted in a panting canine smile.

He was a huge, vicious apex predator.

And he was also freaking adorable.

Hunk buried his fingers into the fur along Shiro's neck, like he'd pet a friendly dog. It wasn't until Shiro froze up, his grey eyes comically wide, that Hunk realized that was a little weird to do when it was a person inside.

But Shiro suddenly flopped forward, resting his head on Hunk's lap and nearly toppling over his now empty plate. His eyes rolled up, still watching Hunk, but content and relaxed.

Invitation.

Hunk started to scratch again. He smiled when Shiro's eyes closed in bliss. "Feels nice, huh?"

There was no verbal response, but Shiro's tail gave a single, encouraging wag.

Weird. All of this was really weird. And shifting was undoing all the good that Hunk's snack had done.

But Shiro seemed happy, and Hunk found himself smiling as he rubbed behind the pointed ears.

Maybe Shiro could be dangerous. But so could Hunk, or Pidge, or Lance, or anyone when they were pushed to the breaking point.

Rather than be afraid, Hunk would just help keep him from feeling that threatened again.

Shiro was a good guy. Maybe not perfect, but good.

He could stay as long as he wanted, and Hunk wouldn't mind at all.


End file.
